Earlier this month, University of Portland senior cross country runner Anna Farello was awarded the NCAA postgraduate scholarship award for academic and athletic excellence.
Farello has played a significant role on the team for the last four years. She was named an All-WCC Honorable Mention last year and a WCC All-Academic Honorable Mention three years in a row (2014, 2015, and 2016).
Farello has made her mark on the track, but has also made a name for herself in the classroom with a 3.98 GPA, which helped her stand out as a recipient for this award.
“I’m just really honored to win this award,” Farello said. “It’s meant a lot to me to be able to represent the University of Portland in a positive way.”
Each year, the NCAA awards up to 174 postgraduate scholarships. The scholarships are offered to students who are in their last year of athletic eligibility. 58 of the scholarships are awarded annually— 29 to both men and women, respectively.
For Farello, the scholarship money will go towards tuition at a graduate school where she will pursue a master’s degree in sports psychology. Some of the schools she’s looking at are the University of Denver, Ball State University, Seton Hall University, Boston University, and John F. Kennedy University.
“She’s a great student and a great runner. She’s a leader and is one of our captains on the team,” head coach Ian Solof said. “I am very proud of her and her accomplishments. She’s one of my favorite athletes that I’ve ever coached.”
Graduating with a degree in psychology in the spring of 2017, Farello says she will always remember the University of Portland and everything she has learned and experienced on The Bluff.
“I have countless fond memories of UP on the athletic side and the academic side,” Farello said. “The person I am now is a product of all the experiences I’ve had at UP. I really owe this scholarship to everyone I’ve met here. I am so grateful for the University of Portland.”
